Mag Instrument

Mag Instrument, Inc., is the manufacturer of the legendary Maglite flashlight. The company was incorporated by Anthony Maglica in 1974 and began producing the first Maglites in 1979. The company is based in Ontario, California. website

The Maglite (also spelled Mag-Lite) was introduced in 1979. It is constructed principally of anodized 6061 aluminum, sometimes referred to as aircraft aluminum. Maglites are known for their variable-focus beam, water resistant pushbutton switch and durability. They are available in a wide variety of colors and are a favorite of collectors.

Lights

C and D Maglite

Newer Cree XP-E on left with Luxeon Rebel LED on right

Incandescent bulbs are manufactured for different numbers of batteries, for example a 3-cell light will blow out a bulb made for 2 cells. Maglites are available with 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 D-size cells and 2, 3, or 4 C-size cells. A 7D light as well as 5C, 6C, and 7C lights were produced but are no longer made. The stock incandescent bulb is krypton, but xenon replacements are available. Maglite uses ANSI/NEMA FL-1 ratings for output, so all lumens here are ANSI lumens.

1979: C and D cell battery models are put on the market; targeted to the public safety and industrial sectors

May 2006: 2D and 3D Maglite LEDs introduced using Luxeon III LED with a bonus krypton bulb in the tail cap.

January 2009: 2D Maglites now feature Luxeon Rebel 090 LED. LED is not replaceable. Max output is 114 lumens.

April 2009: 3D LED Maglites now have Rebel 091 LED and are brighter than 2D. Output is 104 lumens.

November 2010: 3D LED Maglites begin to appear with Cree XP-E LEDs, labeled "Brighter LED" and now show 131 lumens.[1][2]

January 2011: 2D LED Maglites begin to appear with Cree XP-E LEDs.

September 2011: The ML100 in 2C and 3C versions with Cree XP-E LED has an electronic side switch and mode groups.

August 2014: The ML300L comes in 2D or 3D versions, has an electronic switch, momentary on, and several modes including eco-mode for long runtime. Cree XM-L2 gives 2D 524 lumens max and 3D has 625 lumens.

November 2014: ML300LX with knobby grip released. Same specs as ML300L.

July 2015: ML50L introduced with Cree XM-L2 and much higher output. 2C: 490 lumens, 299m throw; 3C: 611 lumens, 339m throw. Has 4 mode groups, but because of higher output, a long runtime eco-mode takes the place of SOS.

October 2015: ML25LT introduced. No modes or side switch, just twist the head for on. 2C 177 lumens, 319m; 3C 173 lumens, 309m.

December 2015: 6D ML300L released with 694 lumens output. Also the 2C and 3C ML50LX introduced with knobby grip.

AA Mini Maglite

1984: First Mini Maglite introduced with 2xAA batteries, side switch replaced by twisting head (loosen for on), including variable focus, extra bulb in tail cap, and candle mode ability. The incandescent MiniMag has output of 14 lumens.

Maglite Solitaire

October 2012: Maglite Solitaire LED uses Luxeon C LED for output of 37 lumens (55m throw).

MagCharger

1982: MagCharger: a larger more expensive model popular with public safety and emergency-services personnel. This light is much brighter than typical Maglites, and uses a rechargeable NiCad battery pack.

2008: MagCharger battery upgraded to NiMH battery

Mag-Tac

October 2012: 2xCR123A tail clicky light with Cree XP-G. Meant for law enforcement and military use. Comes in two versions. Flat bezel version is 310 lumens (182m throw) with High and Low. Creulated bezel version is 320 lumens (193m throw) has High and Strobe. Both use an electronic switch that can be used for momentary On and to access and lock modes with button push sequences.

ML100

September 2011: a 2xC or 3xC Cree XP-E LED light with an electronic side clicky and different modes available with maximum output of 137 lumens (307m throw; the extra battery just gives longer runtime). 3 modes are available with a single click, double click, or triple click. 4 different mode groups are available. Available modes are 100%, 25%, SOS, strobe, and momentary on.

ML125

September 2011: a 3xC or NiMH battery pack Cree XP-G LED light with an electronic side clicky and different modes available with maximum output of 193 lumens on alkalines (273m throw; NiMH pack gives 186 lumens and 258m throw). Comes with a 1-piece NiMH battery pack and charger. 3 modes are available with a single click, double click, or triple click. 4 different mode groups are available. Available modes are 100%, 25%, SOS, strobe, and momentary on.

Non-LED Maglites are equipped with a spare light bulb encased in the tailcap. LED bulbs have a significantly longer lifetime, and thus generally do not need to be replaced. LED Maglites do not include a spare LED, but some include a spare conventional bulb.

Rechargeable batteries

According to Mag Instrument, it is safe to use rechargeable batteries, such as nickel–metal hydride (NiMH) batteries, in any Maglite flashlight.[5]

Step-down regulation

Certain Mag Instrument LED flashlights, including the 2xAA Mini Maglite Pro and Pro+ models,
[6]
provide step-down regulation. This is probably what Mag Instrument is referring to by the term
[7]
"Intelligent Energy Source Management". During use, the flashlights dim slowly and gradually. This feature (which is enabled whether or not your batteries are disposable) prevents the flashlights from using up disposable batteries so quickly.[8]

Among those Mag Instrument flashlights with step-down regulation, the regulation works differently on some than on others. Take, for example, the regulation on the 2xAA Mini Maglite Pro and Pro+ models. After a few hours of operation, these flashlights fall to about 10% of full brightness; they do not return to full brightness unless the power is cycled.[6] This regulation was designed to try to prolong the life of alkaline batteries. (Some say it was also designed to boost ANSI/NEMA FL-1 runtime ratings, which measure the time the flashlight runs before falling to 10% brightness.)
[9]
If you're using lithium primaries, the regulation steps down earlier than is necessary. When the flashlights reach 10% brightness, the batteries might still be more than half full.

For many customers, Mag flashlights with step-down regulation are fine choices. EDC forums user "watchcollector1968" writes, "If you are outside in the dark walking or working and have the light on chances of your eyes even detecting the drop over an hour or so is pretty slim. If for whatever reason you think you need full power again, simply turn it off and back on and the cycle starts over again."
[10]

But aggressive step-down regulation can be bad if you need to be seen: for example, if you are using your flashlight as a bike headlamp.

When used with NiMH batteries, the 2xAA Mini Maglite LED remains at 70% of full brightness for hours.
[11]
But it is dimmer than some of Mag Instrument's other LED flashlights.

Thermal management

Like other lighting technologies, LED lighting does not produce only light, but also heat. LED technology today is such that only about 30% of the energy going into an average LED is turned into light. The rest is turned into heat.

The 2xAA Mini Maglite LED,
[12] and some other Maglite LED flashlights, used two techniques to avoid overheating:

To cool off the LED, each of these flashlights included imperfect heat-dissipation technology:[13] a poorly-designed heat sink,[14] made of thin stamped metal. [15]

Also, as each flashlight's LED heated up, the flashlight provided less power to the LED, which caused it to dim and to produce less heat. If the flashlight was moved into a cooler environment, it instantly brightened again.[16]

Some criticized these flashlights for dimming so much so much due to the poor heat sink.
[14][17] There existed costlier flashlights with better thermal management.

In 2009, Mag Instrument modified the 2xAA Mini Maglite LED and 3D Maglite LED to each include a better heat sink. Even during extended use, those flashlights now stay at a reasonable temperature without dimming themselves.
[12][18]

Mods

Maglites are one of the most widely used hosts for modifications. A summary of available mods is available in a cpf thread, and drop-in manufacturers include:

2D ROP Mod Has links to parts needed to convert a 2D Mag to a super bright li-ion powered ROP light. If you live outside the USA, the bulbs will be hard to find, or extremely expensive to buy.

Mini Mag drop-in by BLF user Match. Lets you drop in the brass pill of a P60 giving you a lot of choices on LED and battery configurations. Involves boring out the head of the MiniMag a couple of millimeters using a 25/32 drill bit (3/4" plus some, that's a big bit). Not reversible, but a fairly quick mod if you have the drill bit and a drill press. He guesses 150 lumens from 2 AA batteries using a XP-G R5 LED and low-voltage driver.

3 XP-G Mini Mag Another mod by Match. 600 lumens from a MiniMag. Involves some serious machinery to mill a copper pill plus a special 3 LED star and a driver that can handle a lot of current. Runs on 2 14500 li-ion batteries.

Xenon upgrades

Brighter light than stock bulb.

Led upgrades

Sold by Maglite, and also by third parties (Terralux, Nite Ize). Easy to drop in a new LED (and maybe a new reflector). The reliability of third part kits varies. The 3 Watt LEDs produce significant increases in light over stock bulks, but less than the latest LED Mags. 3 cell maglites work best with LED sources, because the voltage (3*1.2v=3.6v) does not need altering with circuitry.

A very good general purpose drop-in replacement for the incandescent bulb is the 36 LED dropin tested here. http://budgetlightforum.cz.cc/node/467 It is good for around 400 lumens on 6 cells, about 300 on two D cells. It will produce a lot of light for a very long time. It is best with more than three cells, but wants six for best output.

Upgrade combinations

A sensible combination for the 3 cell C/D range, is 8000/1000 MAh Ni-Mh batteries, and a 3 Watt LED, for long life, and high brightness. Given the high cost of the rechargeable maglite, these parts plus a quality universal charger, can be purchased for a similar price.

↑ 6.06.1
Wang, Robin (28 February 2012). "Mini Maglite Pro and Pro+ LED Flashlight Review". LED-Resource. Retrieved 27 January 2013. "As efficient as LEDs are, heat is still produced and has to be dissipated, so step-down regulation is used to prolong battery life and reduce heat."

↑"MAG-LED® Technology". Mag Instrument, Inc. Retrieved 24 January 2013. "Intelligent Energy Source Management: The second-generation Mag® LED flashlight includes a sophisticated electronic LED module which continuously monitors the balance between high brightness and efficient power usage, allowing for prolonged battery life."

↑
Chicken Drumstick (27 August 2012). "Re: Review: Mini Maglite Pro+". BudgetLightForum LED flashlight forum. Retrieved 24 January 2013. "It’s regulated to offer the max performance and run time off of alkaline cells. The downside is you’ll see little improvement using lithium primaries or Eneloops. But this is all down to the target market and expected customers I guess."

↑Brted (28 January 2013). "Talk:Mag Instrument". Flashlight Wiki. Retrieved 29 January 2013. "The effect of this would be to keep the light running cooler, but also to extend battery life (and some say to distort the FL-1 runtime rating which gives you credit down to 10% brightness)."

↑
watchcollector1968 (2 June 2012). "Maglite ML100 2C". EDC Forums flashlight forum. Retrieved 27 January 2013. "On high it will start at its full output for something like 12 or 13 minutes, then it begins to step down. Opinions seem to vary as to why, some think it is to prevent excessive heat buildup, others think it is to preserve battery life. Either way, if you are outside in the dark walking or working and have the light on chances of your eyes even detecting the drop over an hour or so is pretty slim. If for whatever reason you think you need full power again, simply turn it off and back on and the cycle starts over again."

↑Wang, Robin (20 January 2012). "Maglite ML100 LED Flashlight Review". LED-Resource. Retrieved 24 January 2013. "Previous generations of Maglite’s MAG-LED technology, including the original LED drop-in replacements and even the current LED D-cell lights, had problems with heat dissipation and irregular beam patterns because they were originally designed for incandescent bulbs."

↑ 14.014.1
"NewBie" (16 July 2006). "MagLite 2C LED drop-in Technical Review". CandlePowerForums LED flashlight forum. Post 1. Retrieved 23 January 2013. "We are looking at nearly a 60% drop in output, due to the LED getting hot, from a severe lack of good heatsinking".

↑"NewBie" (16 July 2006). "MagLite 2C LED drop-in Technical Review". CandlePowerForums LED flashlight forum. Post 1. Retrieved 23 January 2013. "Here we go, one of those for your eyes only, which reveals the secrets and the shortcomings, and explains a great many things [...]".

↑"NewBie" (16 July 2006). "MagLite 2C LED drop-in Technical Review". CandlePowerForums LED flashlight forum. Post 1. Retrieved 23 January 2013. "When the module is hot, soaking them with a lot of cold spray causes the light output to jump back to when you first turned it on, and the current goes right back up at the same time."

↑"Maglite Mag-LED: 2, 3, and 4 cell modules". FlashlightReviews Archive. Retrieved 23 January 2013. "Some very knowledgeable folks [...] discovered poor heatsinking for the LED, which the circuitry then has to compensate for by quickly lowering output as the module heats up. [...] What I didn't like: Module heats up quickly and output drops quickly."

↑
NLee the Engineer (11 September 2010). "Maglite second-gen LED flashlight deserves a second chance". Customer Reviews: Maglite SD3D016 3-D Cell LED Flashlight. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved 23 January 2013. "Improved Heat Sink: The overheating problem found in 1st-gen LED modules has been solved. That is, the light no longer dims down after just a few minutes of operation. [...] Better Power Management: The new Maglite maintains constant power consumption of 2W as long as battery voltage is above 3.5V."